Hopes of bringing a major budget hotel to a prominent North Devon town appear to have checked out after the land earmarked for the development was put up for sale.
Plans were first submitted in 2020 to transform a former sports bar and nightclub site in Ilfracombe town centre into an 81-bedroom Premier Inn with a restaurant. The scheme later secured full planning permission in September 2021 for a new hotel building featuring guest accommodation, a reception area, bar and restaurant.
However, the cleared town centre site has now been placed on the market as a development opportunity, raising questions over whether the long-awaited hotel project will ever be built. The land, located between Avenue Road and Market Street, is being marketed freehold with vacant possession.
Marketing documents describe the site as extending to around 0.25 acres and highlight the existing planning consent for an 81-bedroom hotel spread across five storeys. The approved scheme includes a reception lobby, bar and restaurant, with the main entrance facing Market Street.
The approved development was designed to accommodate 81 bedrooms within a building ranging from two to five storeys due to the sloping nature of the site. The plans also included a dedicated service yard on Avenue Road and a mix of family, compact and accessible rooms.
The site sits within the Ilfracombe Conservation Area and is surrounded by several notable landmarks, including Emmanuel Church and the Old Town Hall, both of which are Grade II listed buildings.
While the sales particulars continue to promote the hotel consent, they also point to alternative possibilities for the land. The brochure suggests there could be demand for residential development in the town centre and highlights potential opportunities for retirement, extra care or care home accommodation.
The document also notes that Ilfracombe has a number of hotel requirements but limited provision within the town centre.
No announcement has been made regarding the future of the Premier Inn proposal, but the decision to market the site appears to indicate the approved hotel scheme is no longer progressing in its original form.
